Carpet sweeper and the like



April 14, 1931. w. GILLOOLY 1,300,237

CARPET SWEEPER AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 25, 1929 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 LSdMZS? UNH'IED STATES PATENT QEFFNIE "WILLIAM GILLOOLY, OF STREATOB, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO METAL STAB PINES C035;- PORATION, OF STREATOR, ILLINOIS, A CGRPORATION OF ILLINOIS CARPET SW'EE-PER AND THE LIKE Application filed. January 23, 1929. Serial No. 334,522.

This invention relates to carpet sweepers and other articles wherein there is a frame or body part, an axle, and a Wheel rotatably mounted on the axle.

In carpet sweepers embodying the parts mentioned above, it has been found desirable to extend the axles for the wheels through the main, dust catchingbody or enclosure, and to mount the wheels on end portions of the axles which project from the opposite end walls ofthe sweeper. It has also been found desirable in such structures to enclose the axle in a separate housing or casing so as to prevent dust from collecting on the axle for the reason that in the operation ofthe carpet sweeper, the axle sometimes rotates with the wheel, (even though the. wheel be rotatably mounted on the axle) such rotation often resulting in the throwing out of considerable dust which has collected on the axle.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a carpetsweeper construction wherein the necessity for a separate housing or casing for the axles is eliminated;

to provide a carpet sweeper in which the axles are mounted so as to be non-rotatably but laterally movable in a vertical direction; to provide a simple but eifective means for lockingthe axle against rotation and, in general, to provide an improved construction for carpet sweepers and the like. e

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which I have illustrated a car et sweeper embodying a selected form of the in vention. I

In the drawing: 7 Fig. 1 is a cross section ofa carpet sweeper. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, certain parts being shown in elevation to more clearly illustrate the invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are details of construction, respectively showing a part of one of the axles and an apertured member which'fits on the axle. r

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the parts shown in Figs. 3 and at as they appear when assembled, and

Fig. 6 is a section'on the line6-6 of Fig. 5.

in the casing 10 is formed of sheet metal, the

side walls 15 and 16 and the top 17 being formed of a single sheet of metaland the end walls being formed of separate sheets such as shown at 17 in Fig. 2. The end walls are united to the top and side walls in any suitable manner, the means for securing these parts together being well known in the art, are not herein shown or described in detail. a

Each of the walls is provided with a slot 18 through which axles such as 19 extend and project outwardly beyond the respective end walls, as indicated at 20. It will be understood that the axles extend from end to end of the main body and project from both of the opposite end walls as shown at 20, to receive suitable wheels, such as 21, which are rotatably mounted on the respective ends of the axles. Suitable means such as indicated at r 22 1s prov1ded for preventing the wheels from Sprung members 23,

running off of the axles.

each having oppositely extending arms 2424, are anchored to the inside of the opposite end walls of the carpet sweeper through the agency of bracket plates such as 25 which are riveted to the respective end walls as indicated at 26-26. The bracket plates are provided with punched out lugs or cars 27 which receive an intermediateoifset portion 28 of the respective springs 23 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The lugs 27 may be bent around the respective springs so as to permanently hold the same in place, but such permanent mounting is not necessary, and in the interest of economy in manufacture, the ears or lugs 27 may be left open, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The arms 24.24 of each of the springs extend downwardly and transversely of the length of the axles, preferably extending over and bearing downwardly on the said axles. It will be seen that the spring arms 2%24 serve to yieldingly maintain the axles 19 in their lowermost positions in the slots 18. The bracket plate is apertured as indicated at 29, coaxial with a similar aperture in the end wall 17' of the carpet sweeper body to which the bracket plate is secured. The coaxial apertures serve to receive inturned end portions of bail 31 which is provided with suitable means for receiving a handle (not shown). A brush member 32 is rotatably mounted in the body member and adapted to be rotated as an incident to movement of the carpet sweeper across the floor in a well known manner.

For preventing rotation of the axles 19-19 as an incident to operation of the carpet sweeper, I provide a disc-like member 33 on each of the axles, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thesaid discs being non-rotatablymounted on the respective axles and provided with circumferentially spaced ears 34cand 35 which overliethe adjacent end portion of the spring arms 24-24l. It will be seen that if the axles 19 tend to rotate, one of the lugs 3 or 3-5 will prevent such rotation by engaging the spring .arm 24 which is disposed between the said lugs and the axle.

The disc member 33 may be non-rotatably mounted on the axle 19 in any convenient manner, but I prefer to mount the discs as follows. The disc isfaxially apertured as shown at 36 and provided with a pair of diametrically oppositely disposed slots 37 and 38 which open to the aperture 36. The axle is provided with a pair of diametrically oppositely disposed wedge shaped lugs 39 and 40 which project laterally from the axle and are formed integrally therewith by displacing some of the metal from the axle as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The ears 34 and 35 of the disc 33 are bent over so as to project laterally in the same direction from the periphery of the disc and the disc is forced inwardly along the axle until the slots or notches 37 and 38 receive the wedge shaped lugs 39and 40. The relative dimensions of the lugs and notches are such that the disc will be stopped in substantially the position shown in Fig. 5 by engagement with the widened ends of the lugs which partially lit in the said notches; When the disc is so positioned on the axle, a circiunferential portion 7 of thedisc such as indicated at ll is displaced by being swaged into a tight, holding fit on the circumference of the axle. In so 'swaging or displacing some of the metal of the disc, a part of such displacing metal 18 caused to enter the depressions formed in the axle as an incident to the formation of the lugs 39 and 40. It will, therefore, be apparent that the lugs and notches serve in the nature of a key and keyway interlockingconnection betweenthe-disc and axle so that the axle cannot rotate relative to the disc. The disc is also additionally interlocked with the axle because of the entrance of some of the displaced metal of the disc into the notches or depressions formed in the axle as above mentioned. Because of the tight fit of the disc upon the axle resulting from the above described swaging operation, the disc is also effectively locked on the axle against axial movement thereon so that there is no likelihood of the ears 3% and 35 of the disc becoming separated from the end portion of the spring arm which the said ears overlie.

A fiber or other suitable wear plate 42 may be interposed between the disc 33 and the end wall 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and a washer 43is desirably positioned on the axle between the hub of the wheel and the adjacent end wall.

The above described means for non-rotatably but laterally movably mounting an axle in a device such as a carpet sweeper, is

obviously very simple and economical to use and I am aware that changes may be made in the features of construction above. de-

scribed without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

p 1. The combination with an article including a frame, a'floating axle carriedbv said frame and a wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, of means for locking said axle against rotation comprising a yielding member substantially tangent to said axle and loosely bearing thereon for normally urging said axle to move downwardly, and a mentber rigidly secured to said axle and locked to said yielding member to prevent rotation of said axle.

2. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a body member, an axlemounted in said body member, a wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, a member substantially tangent to said axle and extending transversely across the length of said axle, and a member rigidly secured to said axle and locked to said men.- berfor preventing rotation of the axle in said body member. I l V 3. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a body member, a floating axle mounted in said body member,.a wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, a spring extending tangentially across said axle and loosely bearing thereon for v yieldingly bearing downwardlv' thereon, and a member rigidly secured to said axle and locked to said spring so as to prevent rotation of the axle while permitting movement thereof against the pressure of said spring. 7 V p 4. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a body member, a floating axle mounted. in

said body member, a wheelr'otatably monnted on said axle, a spring anchored to said body member extending crosswise of said axle and yieldingly urging the same to move downwardly, and means for preventing rotation of said axle while permitting lateral movement thereof against the pressure of said spring, said means comprising an apertured member fitting on said axle and having an interlocking connection therewith so as to prevent relative rotation between said axle and said member, and an ear carried by said apertured member for engaging said sprmg. c

5. In a carpet sweeper, the combination of a body member, a floating axle mounted in said body member, a wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, av spring anchored to said body member extending crosswise of said axle and yieldingly urging the same to. move downwardly, and means for prevent ing rotation of said axle while permitting lateral movement thereof against the pres sure of said spring, said means comprising an apertured member fitting on said axle, said axle being provided with a laterally projecting lug and said apertured member having a slot therein adapted to' receive a part of said lug, whereby said member and axle are interlocked, and an ear on said member for engaging said spring.

6. In a carpet sweeper the combination of a body member, a floating axle mounted in said body member, a wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, a spring anchored to said body member and extending transversely over said axle and yieldingly bearing downwardly thereon, and means for preventing rotation of said axle while permitting movenent thereof against the pressure of said spring, said means comprising an apertured disc interlockingly secured on said axle, said disc having a laterally projecting ear engaging said spring.

7. In a carpet sweeper the combination of a body member, a floating axle mounted in said body member, a wheel rotatably mounted on said axle, a spring anchored to saidbody member and extending transversely over said axle and yieldingly bearing downwardly thereon, and means for preventing rotation of said axle while permitting movement thereof against the pressure of said spring, said means comprising an apertured disc secured on said axle, said disc having a notch communicating with its aperture and said. axle having a protuberance interlockingly engaging said notch, said disc having a portion adjacent its aperture swaged into a tight holding fit on said axle and having a laterally projecting ear engaging said spring.

8. In a device of the class described, a casing, a pair of floating axles mounted in said casing, wheels rotatably mounted on said axles, a, resilient member anchored to said casing and having a pair of arms extending casing,

lug engageable with one of said arms for preventing rotation of the axles.

VILLIAM GILLOOLY. 

